Detectorists [Season Two]

The Bafta-winning UK comedy series returns for a second season with further low-key adventures of the DMDC (Danebury Metal Detecting Club) as Andy, Lance and the rest of the gang are back…and still about as useless as always.

Situations have changed since last we saw the group. Andy is now a father and has completed his archaeology degree, but is frustrated that it has not led to any gainful employment of any sort. Lance has moved on from his obsession with his ex-wife, but a new female figure starts to move into his life.

As for the DMDC, they find a major project when a young German enters their midst, hunting for the remains of a bomber supposedly shot down in the area. He claims his grandfather was one of the crew, but holes begin appearing in his story…

Writer/director/star Mackenzie Crook’s Detectorists came out of the gate with a seemingly effortless charm as it married a laconic pace with wry observational humour. Fortunately, that is in full effect once more in Season Two. Andy and Lance still spend most of their time wandering in fields, talking about trivia and finding nothing, but this time they are also wrestling with major life events. Except those are handled in equally low-key ways.

The fact the characters are more established now allows the show to wring more humour out of its supporting cast. In particular, Russell (Pearce Quigley) and Hugh (Divian Ladwa) are always entertaining whenever they are involved, such as on a quest to recover the Mayor’s Chains of Office which have been oddly misplaced at a popular local dogging spot. The casualty is Sophie (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), who is relegated far more to the sidelines this time out.

The beating heart of the show remains Crook’s Andy and Toby Jones’ Lance as they confront significant turning points in their respective lives with characteristic awkwardness. The chemistry between the two actors is so seemingly effortless that the pair easily convince as lifelong friends.

The freshness of the first season has been replaced with more depth and, as such, Detectorists Season Two is every bit as good as its predecessor.

Extras:

A couple of spurious picture galleries aside, the special features consist of a behind-the-scenes featurette that interviews most of the cast during a single day of filming. Over the course of one sunny day is Suffolk, all give their opinions on Season Two, their own characters and on writer/director Crook.

While on the surface, the comments feel like typical fawning EPK stuff, there is a clear honesty to it all. Everyone seems genuinely thrilled to be part of the series and the actors often share the same dry humour as the show. When asked about returning, Gerard Horan (who plays Terry, the head of the DMDC) deadpans, “I didn’t want to, but [Crook] has these pictures…that I don’t want on the Internet.”

The result is a breezy half-hour piece that shares the same laidback humour as the series itself.